


Standing Still

by greenapricot



Series: Lewis and Endeavour prompt fills [6]
Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22679113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenapricot/pseuds/greenapricot
Summary: Robbie finds James at the far edge of the carpark in the designated smoking area, smoking.
Relationships: James Hathaway/Robert Lewis
Series: Lewis and Endeavour prompt fills [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1240481
Comments: 20
Kudos: 121





	Standing Still

**Author's Note:**

  * For [notajoinerofthings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notajoinerofthings/gifts).



> For notajoinerof things from a tumblr prompt meme for the prompt: Standing Still for Robbie and James.

Robbie finds James at the far edge of the carpark in the designated smoking area, smoking. 

“How is she?” James asks when Robbie’s close enough to hear him. 

“Mum and bairn both happy as you please,” Robbie says. He knows he’s grinning like a daft idiot but he couldn’t stop himself even if he wanted to.

James stubs out his cigarette and drops it in the bin. “Congratulations,” he says, pulling Robbie to him and planting a kiss on his forehead. “Grandpa for the second time.”

“So are you.”

The look on James’ face shifts from pleased to wary. “You told her?”

Robbie shakes his head. “Wasn’t the time.”

“Never is.” James’ gaze falls over Robbie’s shoulder back toward the hospital entrance, his look gone wistful. Robbie glances behind him and they both watch as a couple leaves hand in hand, looking happier than people leaving hospitals usually tend to. 

“Time will come, though.” Robbie steps closer, getting back in James’ line of sight. James nods but doesn’t meet Robbie’s eyes, still watching the couple’s progress across the carpark.

“Hey.” Robbie touches James’ cheek and James turns to look at him then. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m not ashamed of you, of us. I just haven’t— I’d shout it from the rooftops if that would help.”

“Please don’t,” James says. “I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks, only you.”

“And Lyn.”

“And Lyn,” James agrees. “But that’s— only because she’s your daughter. I don’t want this between us to harm your relationship with her.”

“It won’t, lad.”

James purses his lips. 

“I know my daughter and I know she’s already rather fond of you. The two of us being together isn’t going to change that.”

“You’re sure,” James says without conviction. He looks like he’s bracing for a blow, waiting for everything to come crashing down around him. Robbie resists the urge to shake him and shout that whatever happened in his past is not going to happen now. But even this can’t dampen Robbie’s joy over the arrival of his granddaughter. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t told her yet,” he says. “I don’t have a good excuse. Only I had it in my head that I should tell her in person and—” He pauses, taking James’ hand. “Maybe we should tell her together.”

James raises an eyebrow, doing his best to look unaffected but Robbie can feel the tension in his shoulders through their joined hands. “What if she—?”

“What if she nothing. She’ll be happy for us. Both of us,” he clarifies with a squeeze to James’ hand before letting go. “Likely cross with me for not telling her sooner, though. Odds are she’s already sussed us out.”

“And never said anything?” The lad has looked less sceptical when questioning suspects caught in obvious lies.

“Waiting me out I’d wager. You do realise that once this is all official she’ll be expecting you for holidays. No exceptions.”

James looks equal parts amazed and horrified. “Every holiday?” he says, incredulous, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. 

“Aye, lad.”

James huffs out a disbelieving laugh and shakes his head, gesturing back toward the hospital. “Should we— now?”

“Nah. She was drifting off when I left. When we come back in the morning.”

“Promise?”

“Of course, lad. I didn’t realise it meant that much to you.” 

“It doesn’t. I just—“ James shakes his head. “Maybe it does, but I didn't want it to. I’m afraid I’m still not very good at all this,” James says, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.

Why do they always end up having these conversations in awkward places at awkward times? Comes from avoiding them most of the time Robbie supposes. That’s probably something they both ought to be working on.

“You’re all right,” Robbie says. “No one’s expecting you to be perfect.” 

“So you keep saying.”

“And someday it’ll sink into that big brain of yours that it’s true.”

“Someday,” James says, leaning in to bump shoulders with Robbie as they make their way across the carpark.

_____


End file.
